Scotland line: Less than one year judgments should not sit in jail – what if Finland would be decided the same way?

Scotland did in the summer of bold transfer in order to facilitate the prison problem, which has plagued the country for a long time. The government accepted this recommendation (you move to another service), according to which a maximum 12-month punishment should not be sentenced to imprisonment.

in Scotland is nearly three times as many prisoners than in Finland. The background is especially the country's hard drug problems.

prison population in order to reduce the land provided for years 2011 recommendation that no more than three months penalties will not be judged imprisonment. The government wanted these prisoners to end up preferring, for example, community service.

the Right to continue to impose short prison sentences as an absolute. They should, however, be justified separately.

Short sentences carrying amount is reduced markedly, and this year the recommendation has therefore been decided to expand.

the Recommendation is prisoner number reduction part, but also crime and recidivism are reduced, said the Scottish model in Finland, presented a criminology researcher Hannah Graham .

the Scottish crime and justice research centre researcher Hannah Graham presented his country's experience of short prison sentences in reducing Finland.Juha Heikanen / Yle

the Scottish crime and justice study center representative Graham spoke in Helsinki at the end of October. From the researcher's perspective short prison sentences do not work.

– family relationships, housing, work and social support to prevent offending. Short prison sentences interrupted by these things. In addition, we should use prison less, because it is expensive.

What if Finland do the same?

in finland, the law-breakers are condemned already now a lot less to unconditional imprisonment than Scotland. In that sense, Scotland is rather followed the Finnish example of this than the other way around.

Finland we can learn, that can be the same time fewer prisoners and yet secure society, Graham said.

the Scottish government recommendation is still in Finland compared to exceptional solution.

If the corresponding policy is complied with in Finland, it would apply to thousands of prisoners. Only less than three months run the number of prisoners has more than 2 000 annually.

They can be sentenced to unconditional imprisonment, instead of conditional imprisonment, which may involve, depending on the situation oheissakko and control. You are also running a community service as well as supervision and juvenile justice, research director of Jussi Pajuoja the university of Eastern Finland estimates.

Thousands of prisoners amendment would Pajuoja, according to however, impossible to implement in practice. Experts would like to anyway to increase community sanctions and reduce the prison sentences, but wishes and reality of coordination is difficult.

Yle reported earlier today, how many things are slowing down open the criminal sanctions increasing in Finland. Obstacles are prisoners, homelessness, drug dependency, continuing criminal twist and incomplete services.

politicians stir up fears of

Prison sentences reduction has not happened in Scotland without criticism. Hannah Graham, according to the part of the politicians to scare reform that thousands of "dangerous criminals" on the streets.

crime statistics have not confirmed fears. Almost all kinds of crimes have declined in Scotland in recent decades, and the absolute imprisonment of the reduction have changed direction (you move to another service).

Another initial concern was how this would affect the victims. We were discussing the crime with the victims and we try to avoid a configuration in which offenders and victims are opposite. In particular, children's and families ' interests is important here, Graham said.

the Court members have reacted in different ways. Part of the has told investigators kiertäneensä three months of the recommendation by giving longer prison sentences. Partly because of this recommendation was extended to a maximum 12-month sentences.

the amount of money Scotland has come to the same conclusion as many experts in Finland: if the penalties are transferred out of prisons, including community penalties need to get money.

see also:

Still more prisoners sitting short sentence – a real punishment may come only after free: "there's many guys stumped"

Subscribe Yle newsletters!

Get Overeating the best content straight to your inbox! Order as many letters as you want!

Proceed to order